BT Openzone and The Cloud support DS wifi in the UK

The following is a press release outlining the details for UK DS Wifi Zones. We’re still waiting for details about Nintendo Australia’s service.

There is a revolution afoot in the worlds of Wi-Fi and gaming. Nintendo UK is bringing Wi-Fi technology into play from the 25th November 2005 with a new groundbreaking deal with wireless providers BT Openzone and The Cloud. The launch of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service means the UK will take an unprecedented step forward into a new era of gaming, allowing anyone to play against friends and family across the globe simply, safely and best of all – for free.

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To ensure that anyone really can play against others from all over the world with their Nintendo DS, the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection can be accessed in any one of three ways:

1) Gamers will be able to visit any one of over 7,500 Wi-Fi hotspots at locations across the UK. These include McDonalds restaurants, Coffee Republic coffee houses, Hilton and Ramada Jarvis hotels, Road Chef and Welcome Break service stations, First Great Western railway stations, over 25 student unions and city centre BT Payphones and airports, football stadiums and even the British Library and Canary Wharf. By logging onto www.thecloud.net or www.btopenzone.com and entering your town or postcode; you can find the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection hotspots closest to you.

2) Nintendo UK will also be installing BT Openzone Wi-Fi hotspots into major video games retailers and other key outlets across the UK, meaning it really is possible to game anywhere!

3) Gamers with a broadband internet connection at home will be able to enjoy the free*, simple and safe Wi-Fi gaming service, you simply need a Wi-Fi access point or hotspot, like a Wi-Fi wireless router, and an active broadband internet connection. If you do not have a wireless access point, you can purchase a Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector (available 25th November for around 30) which plugs into a PC and automatically sets up a connection for you.

Nintendos Wi-Fi gaming service is free* – there are no fees or subscriptions to pay. Its incredibly easy to use – you simply turn it on and select Wi-Fi, there are no complicated menu screens and minimum configurations required and most importantly Nintendos Wi-Fi Connection service is a safe environment for players. Players have the option to select to play with just friends, or people of a similar skill level around the world without fear of harassment. Players do not have direct communication with each other when playing anonymously and therefore personal details or inappropriate comments cannot be exchanged.

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David Yarnton, General Manager, Nintendo UK said:
Nintendo are bringing a significant, groundbreaking deal to the UK. Launching our Wi-Fi service in partnership with two of the UKs leading providers of hotspots is a massive statement of our commitment. Nintendo has revolutionised Wi-Fi video gaming, removing all of the negative aspects whilst retaining the fun and diversity it offers. The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service truly offers the mass market a great opportunity to fully embrace Wi-Fi

George Polk, CEO of The Cloud, said: Consumer Wi-Fi has finally arrived, and in a big way. Now hundreds of thousands of Nintendo users can play networked games when they are out and about, while they are waiting for a train, walking to meetings, at shopping malls, at the football, and many other places. Nintendo Wi-Fi can fill all those little spaces in the day, keeping Nintendo customers in touch with friends and gaming rivals across town and across the world. By bundling free usage in with the game, engineering the DS so it can automatically connect to the network, creating market leading games, and pioneering new communities of users, Nintendo is breaking down all the barriers to usage that have slowed the growth of Wi-Fi. Business usage of our network continues to grow quickly, but we have thousands of consumer locations that have been waiting for this kind of service to come to market. To say we are excited and impressed by their new service would be a vast understatement.””

Chris Clark, CEO of Converged Mobility Operations, BT said: “”Wi-Fi is increasingly becoming part of everyone’s lives, whether you are a business traveller, a professional working away from the office or now someone who enjoys playing games on consoles against people round the world. We are delighted to be working with Nintendo on this partnership which will broaden the appeal of Wi-Fi from the business into the consumer market.

“”We believe the future for Wi-Fi is that people will be able to access the internet, their corporate networks and their games consoles any time, anywhere using whatever device they have.””

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection will be rolled out across Europe, with different service providers and Wi-Fi partners in each country. There is really no excuse not to get online and get involved now it has been made so simple, safe and free*!

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